Young Lion of the Woods eBook

to leave her terrified children, who were afraid to
follow her. She knew her only course was to appear
bold and fearless in presence of the red men.
At length she got the little ones pacified, as she
stepped toward the opening, her children were huddled
together in a corner. She did not hesitate a
moment, but went out and advanced down the slope and
stood face to face with the savages. Paul Guidon
advanced a few steps toward her. She said, “I
believe you to be an honest man, and you will not see
a defenceless woman injured and her children murdered,
if you can help it.” At this moment a couple
of tomahawks and several arrows passed in close proximity
to Mrs. Godfrey, and a moment after a single arrow
struck her in the arm, causing the blood to flow freely.
Paul Guidon turned suddenly and spoke firmly and decidedly
to his comrades, they retired a short distance.
Margaret continued, “Why do those Indians wish
to injure me? My husband is away, and when he
comes back we will leave this place and go up the
river to Grimross Neck and live there.”
The red man stood silent all the time Mrs. Godfrey
was speaking. He now spoke as follows, “You
no ’fraid Injuns, stand fore them like rock,”
at the same time pointing down to a big boulder on
which he was standing, “Brave Pale Face.”
She said in reply: “I shall never be afraid
while you are with the Indians, but some of the red
men I would not trust. If my King, the Great
Pale Faced Father of this country, knew of your kindness
to me he would love you. I feel that my life
and the lives of my children are safe in your hands.”
Margaret then asked him into the Fort. In doing
this she appears to have obeyed the cool dictates of
judgment rather than the impulses of the heart.
He at first hesitated and then slowly followed her
cautiously up the rising ground. She turned around
and said to him rather sharply: “Do you
fear to trust me? There are no pale faced men
inside. Did I not trust you when I went out single,
alone and unarmed, to meet you?” He quickened
his pace, but glanced restlessly all around.
Arriving near the entrance of the Fort, he said:
“Me stop here.” Margaret called to
her children, but they would not come. Paul said:
“Children frightened with Injun.”
After much difficulty she persuaded Paul to step inside.
He stopped as he entered and looked wildly about,
appearing inclined to draw back. Margaret Godfrey
looked straight into his restless eyes and said:
“You are my friend now. When my husband
comes back you can help us up this unknown stream to
our new home.” “Yea,” he replied;
“me will watch on river bank and in canoe; fire
gun and point where stay night. Don’t tell
pale face man me be in Fort. White man sometime
kill Injun. Won’t tell pale face man, say?”
Here he hesitated for a reply. Margaret took
his hand, led him out, and promised she would not.
And she kept her word.]